New York
CNN
—
Disneyland removed the lyrics to “zip-a-dee-doo-dah” played during a parade in the park because it came from a movie that was criticized for its racist portrayal of black Americans.
The lyrics originally appeared on the “Magic Happens” parade, which debuted in March 2020. The parade recently returned after a nearly three-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. After relaunching last month, viewers of the twice-daily parade, described on its website as “celebrating a magical moment in the Disney saga,” can now hear lyrics from “Peter Pan” — “Think happiest thing”—its location.
The change to the parade’s lyrics was first reported in the OC Register.
The song “Zip-a-dee-doo-dah” originated from the 1946 film “Song of the South,” long known for its stereotypes of “spiritual” blacks and its seemingly nostalgic view of the antebellum South. Be criticized.
Disney is reducing references to the film elsewhere in its parks. In 2020, Disney Parks and Resorts announced that both Disneyland and Walt Disney World will “completely reimagine” Splash Mountain, as the log flume is based on “Song of the South.” It’s being remodeled for a role in the 2009 animated film “The Princess and the Frog,” which featured Disney’s first black princess.
Disney (DIS) said at the time that the new Splash Mountain concept was “inclusive” and that “all of our guests can connect with and be inspired by it.” Splash Mountain ride at Walt Disney (DIS) World in Orlando Closed for renovation. The new attractions are expected to open at two resorts in the United States in 2024.
Disneyland officials told the OC Register in 2020 that the removal of the “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” song from the theme park resort was part of an ongoing process to provide an environment with a relevant and inclusive story. The OC Register also reported that the song was removed from music played at Downtown Disney, the shopping and dining area of the Disneyland Resort, in 2020 and from music played at King Arthur Carrousel in 2021.
“Song of the South” was so controversial that Disney locked it for decades and even excluded it from Disney+’s vast library. After the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests sparked deep dialogue and reflection in Hollywood about the depiction of race in popular culture, log sinks have changed.